It is difficult enough for the Rangers to win even when Henrik Lundqvist is at the top of his game. It is all but impossible for the Blueshirts to even come close when The King plays as if he’s a plebeian.

Which goes a long way in explaining yesterday, when it appeared as if the Bruins were shooting pucks made out of Kryptonite rather than vulcanized rubber at the Rangers’ Superman in the 5-2 Game 2 victory that sends the Blueshirts back to New York facing their second consecutive 2-0 series deficit.

“The game was about hunting down the puck, and it was tough,” said Lundqvist, who has yielded four long ones overall in consistently being forced to contend with traffic in front, including Johnny Boychuk’s 50-footer at 12:08 of the second that snapped a 2-2 tie. “It was definitely a tough game to play.

“I thought I was in position, but a couple of screens … giving up five goals you can’t be satisfied, obviously. I have to be better, and the guys in front of me have to step up as well.”

It wasn’t all on Lundqvist, of course, as he yielded as many as five goals for the first time in his past 35 playoff starts and the sixth time over his 64-start postseason career. There were coverage breakdowns aplenty. But if it feels as if the Bruins have pierced an impenetrable shield, it should.

When Zdeno Chara beat Lundqvist for the first goal of the series at the 12:33 mark of the second period of Game 1, that ended The King’s shutout streak at 152:33. By the time Milan Lucic scored yesterday’s final goal at 12:39 of the third, Lundqvist had surrendered eight goals in 95:46.

Lundqvist, who went to the ice after taking a shot to his shoulder late in the game, is the last line of defense on a team that has defended rather poorly against the Bruins. They’ve been unable to contain the Boston rush either in the neutral zone or in the Rangers’ end, where trailers have been eating up the time and space the Blueshirts have granted.

The Bruins were supposed to be a grinding team. Well, they’re that, too, but they are destroying the Rangers with their speed through the neutral zone and their playmaking ability when they cross the blue line.